GOP confident in debt ceiling bill

Shortly after returning from their retreat, House Republicans will vote on Wednesday to raise the debt ceiling without matching spending cuts — a proposal that represents both a concession and a new legislative strategy for them.

The fact that House GOP leaders have scheduled a vote on the controversial bill in less than a week since the idea surfaced signifies that they have an unusual amount of confidence in their 233 members. That’s despite the fact that Republicans have hardly been able to pass a single piece of important legislation without Democratic support.

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GOP leaders feel confident they will be able to pass the bill, which suspends the debt ceiling until May 19, while trying to force the Senate to pass its budget. The legislation doesn’t specify the amount by which the debt ceiling will be raised, a tactic that might be aimed at shielding lawmakers from the criticism that they’re accruing billions of dollars in new debt.

The bill also attempts to force both chambers to pass a budget by April 15. If they don’t, members of Congress will not be paid.

The measure — a mere 4½ pages long — is an attempt to sweep away the debt ceiling as a legislative issue until Washington resolves two other thorny problems: government funding and automatic spending cuts dubbed the sequester.

The goal, according to lawmakers, is to use the three months after the debt ceiling is lifted to tangle over long-term fiscal policy with the Senate and the White House. But it’s unclear whether President Barack Obama would ever agree to a short-term debt ceiling hike, something he has previously fiercely opposed.

In a hopeful sign for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), some of the House Republican Conference’s most conservative lawmakers say they’re going to support the legislation. The GOP’s three-day retreat last week in Williamsburg, Va., helped corral support from them.

“Let’s spend the next 90 days having [a discussion about long-term fiscal policy],” said Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.), a conservative on the House Budget Committee who will support the debt ceiling deal. “How much debt are we going to ring up? I’m sure the president would like a four-year extension. So how much debt are we going to ring up in the next four years? What do you plan to do Mr. President, and what are your proposals? And the Senate, what are yours?”

The short-term debt hike is certainly a sea change for Republicans, some of whom were urging default unless Democrats agreed to massive spending cuts. Boehner labored for months during the 2011 debt ceiling negotiations to match what has become known as the Boehner Principle — that any debt ceiling hike should be matched with commensurate spending cuts or reforms.

“I think it’s always been a good idea to realize that when we write a check, we should cover it,” said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who plans to support the bill. “And we write a check when we pass a budget. We write a check when we appropriate.”

Trying to force the Senate to pass a budget is a principal objective here, lawmakers say. Senate leaders, like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), say the chamber will pass a spending plan this year, but as of Monday afternoon, there was no decision whether the Senate would take up the bill if it passes the House.